About Me

I live and farm on a 150 Ha finishing cropping farm in the Manawatū, along with managing other family investments, including commercial property.

My current community roles
  • Chairman of the Horizons Lower Manawatu Drainage Scheme Liaison Committees. $412 million in assets providing flood protection to Palmerston North City and outlying regions from the Manawatu and Oroua Rivers.
  • Member of the Manawatu Drainage Board Liaison Committee. $31 million in assets protecting 16,400 Ha of land area.
  • Nature’s Call Steering Group, PNCC wastewater project, Rural representative.
  • Arapuke Trails, which I led in formative years, raising $2.5 million to build and maintain the Arapuke Mountain Bike Park, which contributes $5m back to the local economy in PA.
  • Associate member of the Te Apiti Gorge Governance Group advocating for recreational opportunities in the Te Apiti Manawatu Gorge.
  • Recipient of PNCC Civic Award 2022
Past Business and Community Experience  
  • Horticulture/Logistics
    • Managing partner for Fordell Freezers which was growing 30 Ha of kiwifruit, 10 Ha pears, packing and coolstoring of 350,000 trays of kiwifruit for 20 growers.
    • Director of Whanganui Pears which packed and coolstoring 500 tons of pears.
    • Harvest coordinator, Wanganui Crop to Tauranga, Harvest and Trucking
  • Marketing
    • Managing director of WestFresh, marketing Whanganui pip fruit crop following the Apple and Pear Board local market deregulation in 1993.
    • Managing director of 40 South Pears, marketing 300 tons of pears to the NZ market.
  • Community
    • Director of WEDCO, Whanganui District Council economic development arm.  (Like CEDA.)
    • Manawatu Mountain Club in the roles of treasurer, membership and trails.
    • Whanganui Federated Farmers Meat and Wool Chairman.
    • Beef & Lamb monitor farm from 2006 to 2009.
  • IT
    • Consultant, CSI Consultants, supplying IT solutions to small businesses during the 1990s.
    • Contract work for the Kiwifruit Marketing Board (Zespri) and the Dairy Board in the 1990s, specialising in coolstore and logistics.
  • Commercial Property
    • Investments in properties around the country, including Wanganui, Palmerston North and Queenstown